William fairbairn



(No Model) W. FAIRBAIRN.

ENVELOP OPENER.

No. 586,170. Patented July 13,1897.

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TATES Nrrn \VILLIAM FAIRBAIRN, OF CALABOGIE, CANADA.

ENVELOP-GPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,170, dated July 13, 1 897.

Application filed April 1 7, l 8 9 '7.

T ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galabogie, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to envelop-openers.

My object is to provide an envelop-opener ofextremely simple and cheap construction, whereby opening may be had quickly and easily and in such an improved manner that the edges of the open portion will be spread apart or flared, so that the letter-sheet in the envelop may be more readily removed.

The invention is to be adapted for use in connection with pencils, penholders, watchcharms, (he.

The foregoing object is accom plished by the provision of an envelop-opener of improved construction, and more particularly by employing a knife of peculiar construction, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged detail View in sectional elevation, disclosing the manner of using the device Fig. 2, a cross-section of an envelop after being cut by my opener; Fig. 3, a View looking toward the grooves and knife; Fig. 4, a crosssection showing the peculiar shape of knife, and Fig. 5 a view showing the device applied to a pencil.

The body of the opener is shown at 1, the same being provided with a longitudinallyextending groove 2,which is flared or widened at its mouth 3, so as to permit of the easy insertion of the envelop. Formed integral with the body or connected thereto in any suitable manner is a knife 4,0f improved construction. It will be observed that when the groove 2 reaches the knife it is formed into the branches 5 and 6, which lie on opposite sides of-said knife, said branches being quite nar' row and diverged from each other. The knife being located between these branches and having its sides forming walls thereof is substantially triangular in cross-section. Said Serial No. 632,595. (No model.)

knife is formed with a sharp upper edge 7, and it is provided with a pointed needle-like projection 8, which is undercut at 9, so that the said needle lies in the middle of the groove 2, in a position to enter between the flap of the envelop and the body thereof. The peculiar disposition of the branch grooves 5 and 6,in connection with the knife having the needle-point and substantially triangular in cross-section, constitute very important parts of the present device. It will be observed that as a consequence of said construction the portions of the flap and body of the envelop will be spread apart when being out, so that after the cutting operation has been completed the letter-sheet can be withdrawn from the envelop with ease. The manner in which the edges of the envelop are flared by the knife is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the flared edges being disclosed at 10 and 11. i

In Fig. 5 the device is shown applied to a pencil and constitutes a part of the tip thereof, which is shown at 12. In this tip there may be inserted an eraser 13, and the parts 14: and 15 constitute diametrically disposed wings, each of which is an opener constructed in accordance with my invention. Of course the device is applicable to penholders and other articles of like character, or it can .be used by itself and made in the shape of a paper-weight.

The manner of opening the envelop will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, where the envelop is shown at 16, an end flap being shown at 17 and a sealing-flap at 18. The envelop is introduced into the flared portion of the groove 2 and is then slid along in said groove, or the device itself is slid in relation to the envelop, the needle-point passing between the fiap and beginning to cut, and immediately after the cut portion passes through the branch grooves, which, by their inclination, spread or flarethe edges, so that after the cutting operation has been finished the letter-sheet may be readily removed.

I lay no claim, broadly, to the construction of my device, as the patent to Jones, N 0. 299,398, discloses an envelop-opener, and my improvement over the same resides in the novel form of knife in connection withthe branching grooves at the sides thereof.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an envelop-opener, the combination with a body having a groove for the envelop, of a cutting-knife located in the groove and having inclined sides which are separated from the body by inclined diverging branch grooves.

2. In an envelop-opener, the combination With a body having a groove for the envelop, of a cutting-knife located in the groove and substantially triangular in cross-section, said knife having inclined sides which converge to an apex and provided With an undercut needle-point lying in the main groove, the sides of the cutting-knife being separated from the body by inclined diverging grooves that lead into the main groove.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN.

Witnesses:

ALEX. BARR, R. C. MONAB. 

